


recovery

by knoxoursavior



Category: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, DC Cinematic Universe, Justice League (2017)
Genre: Gen, Post Justice League, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-19
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2019-02-04 10:48:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12769425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knoxoursavior/pseuds/knoxoursavior
Summary: Bruce doesn’t know when the team started to feel more like family.





	recovery

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [Recovery/痊愈](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12777393) by [AprilDayEver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AprilDayEver/pseuds/AprilDayEver)



> i couldn't help but write post-jl fic especially after reading abt what zack snyder originally planned for jl aah specifically about bruce bein ready to die so here i am with a bruce-centric fic!!!

Diana knows him too much.

Sometimes, Bruce wonders if Alfred’s slipping her information about him, for all that she swoops in whenever he’s bitten off more than he can chew. He brought it up, once, and Diana just rolled her eyes and laughed at him. It’s almost amazing, how Diana can see right through him and yet still want to be there for him.

No, Bruce doesn’t think he’s ever met a woman like her.

  
  


“Was that a test?” Diana asks, later.

Bruce remembers looking at the road ahead of him, taking a breath. He’d done his job. He’d done enough.

“Yes,” Bruce says.

Diana nods, but her lips are still pressed in a thin line, worried.

Bruce turns away. He never could lie to her.

  
  


Becoming Clark’s friend is a process.

Bruce has to hold himself back, try not to let it slip that he knows exactly how Clark writes when he’s actually interested in the subject matter, or where Clark used to buy flowers for Lois, or what Clark used to love eating whenever he came home to Kansas. Sometimes Bruce can’t help it, and he invites Clark out to a cafe he knows Clark loves, just to see Clark smile as he sips from a cup of coffee.

Clark’s smile is a reassurance that the world will be okay. Bruce thinks it’s one of the most beautiful things he’s ever seen.

  
  


“Ma says you never come around anymore,” Clarksays. Bruce didn’t even get the chance to say hello when he answered the call.

“I wouldn’t want to intrude,” Bruce says.

“We wouldn’t even have the farm if it weren’t for you,” Clark says, and yes, that’s true. Bruce doesn’t think it matters that much, though. The good that he’s done for their family does not compensate for the bad. But then—

“I know they'd love it if you brought something of Alfred’s,” Clark says. “I think Ma said Lois loves his key lime pie?”

Bruce doesn’t really have a good excuse to tell him no, and Clark will know he’s making excuses because Alfred will tell him, or Alfred will tell Diana who will tell Clark. It seems like everyone’s ganging up on Bruce these days.

“I’ll be there by eight.”

  
  


Barry is easier.

Barry is all smiles and determination and pain, hidden. Bruce looks at Barry and sees a kid, eager to prove himself and starving for affection. It isn’t hard to answer Barry’s calls and to consult in one of his cases. It isn’t hard to listen to Barry ramble about the last time he visited his dad or how Iris talked to him earlier that day or the improvements he wants to make on his suit.

Barry is easier because Bruce knows his place with Barry and he’s filled that place before.

(But, no, Barry is not Dick, nor is he Jason.)

  
  


“You didn’t have to come all the way to Central City, you know,” Barry says, fidgeting with his tie. “I mean not that I don’t want you here, because I do, but I’m sure you have better things to do — is Gotham okay without you? Not that your city's a mess, but I hear things are pretty intense there so—you know.”

Bruce does know, but he also has people he can trust in Gotham. Little by little, it’s getting easier for him to leave her when he needs to, just for a while.

“No, this is important,” Bruce says.

“It’s just a certificate. I mean it’s not even a real degree. Shit, I’m sorry—”

“I’m already here, Barry, and it’s not just a certificate. You worked hard for it,” Bruce says. He pauses, wanting to say more but unsure how welcome it will be. But then, like some people have told him countless times, there’s nothing wrong with letting others know how you feel.

“I’m proud of you,” Bruce says.

Barry’s smile is as bright as the sun.

  
  


Victor talks to Alfred more than he talks to Bruce, which says a lot about him, in Bruce’s opinion.

Sometimes, whenever Victor and his father have had a disagreement, Victor comes by the cave to work with Alfred and Bruce on their tech. Of course, Bruce only knows about these disagreements because he has surveillance on all of the members of the team. Also, Bruce only knows about these disagreements because Victor lets him.

Bruce is okay with that arrangement.

  
  


“You know, Master Victor, if you ever need to talk, I’m here to listen,” Alfred says. “Master Bruce is, too, I imagine. So are the rest of the team.”

Bruce shouldn’t be hearing this. He should probably walk away and give them space for a minute, but he’s concerned too.

“I’m fine, Alfred. Thank you,” Victor says. Bruce has heard that before, which means that Alfred’s probably heard it thrice as much. Bruce knows firsthand that it’s almost always a lie, and he knows by experience that Alfred's aware it’s all bullshit.

“Of course, Master Victor,” Alfred says, because he also never pushes until he needs to.

Bruce hopes they never find the need to, because Victor is young and he’s smart and he doesn’t deserve to go through more than he already has.

“I swear I’ll tell you if I can’t handle things myself,” Victor says.

“I hope so,” Alfred says, and Bruce does too.

  
  


Arthur is—well, he’s Arthur.

Bruce shouldn’t get along so well with him so much considering they’re both assholes, but here they are, sharing looks whenever Diana has to stop Barry and Clark from having too much fun and pushing at each other to go and tell Victor that he should have a bit of fun. Sometimes they sit down and have a drink together, just because it’s hard as fuck to be the king of fucking Atlantis and it’s frustrating as shit to watch over the entirety of Gotham.

Arthur is Arthur, and he never makes Bruce feel like he's alone when he needs a drink sometimes.

  
  


“Up for a round?” Arthur asks, and fuck, they just got back from a fight and Bruce really, really shouldn’t.

“Just one,” Bruce says, because he’d appreciate the burn down his throat and the warmth in his belly anyway.

“I won’t tell,” Arthur says, not that it’ll matter. It’s not like Bruce could ever hide anything from Alfred, and everyone else in the team can probably smell the alcohol on their breaths one way or another.

Still, Bruce thinks it’s nice when he and Arthur have their little talks. It’s as much as he can get away and pretend that he’s not going to go and run back into Gotham’s arms as soon as he realizes he's left her for too long.

Bruce sighs.

“Maybe two.”

  
  


Bruce doesn’t know when the team started to feel more like family. Then again, it’s already happened before, with Dick and Jason and Barbara, so perhaps it should have been expected.

**Author's Note:**

> hit me up on [tumblr](http://clqrkkent.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
